American Indian Tribe Fights Texas To Keep Bingo Center Open

LIVINGSTON, Texas (AP) — Texas authorities are heading to federal court in an effort to shut down 365 bingo machines at a small electronic bingo operation run by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe.

The Naskila Gaming entertainment center has been opened for nearly a year about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northeast of Houston. Tribal leaders say it's been a success, noting that it's created about 400 jobs and has had a $5 million local economic impact so far.

But state attorneys say the operation is illegal. The state says the presence of electronic bingo machines violates an injunction from 15 years ago that closed a full-scale casino shortly after the tribe opened it on the same site.